WILLEMSTAD – Sigmar Carmelia was officially sworn in on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, as the new President of the Joint Court of Justice during a ceremony led by the Governor of Curaçao, Mauritsz de Kort.
The ceremony was attended by several prominent officials and members of the judiciary, including Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas, Justice Minister Shalten Hato, Education Minister Sithree van Heydoorn, and Parliament President Fergino Brownbill.
Also present were Vice Chair of the Council of Advice Ludmila Vicento, Court Director Martin Luttge, Dean of the Bar Association Roald Tromp, Chairman of the Court Management Board Rauf Engels, and Vice President of the Court in Aruba Jane Jansen.
Colleagues from the Court, as well as family members and friends, also attended the event.
One of the most symbolic moments of the ceremony came when Carmelia’s two daughters handed him the ceremonial chairman’s gavel of the Joint Court of Justice, marking the acceptance of his new office in a personal and meaningful way.
With the swearing-in of Carmelia, the Joint Court of Justice enters a new chapter under his leadership.
The Court plays a central role in the administration of justice and the rule of law across the countries and special municipalities of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.